Eichel: Sabres' offseason moves 'sparked some excitement in me'

The Buffalo Sabres have been one of the busiest teams this offseason, and captain Jack Eichel likes what he sees.

"We're really excited," Eichel said Tuesday, according to NHL.com's Mike Zeisberger. "They're great moves from management in the offseason. Now, more than anything at this point, you want to get back to playing.

"I think it's great. I think it definitely sparked some excitement in me and other guys in the room."

Eichel publicly shared his frustration with his team's lack of progress after missing the playoffs once again this past campaign. The Sabres haven't made the postseason since 2010-11.

Buffalo was a big winner in free agency. After replacing fired general manager Jason Botterill, Kevyn Adams managed to land the highly coveted Taylor Hall while also bringing in Eric Staal and Cody Eakin to add depth down the lineup.

"Whenever you can add people like Taylor Hall and Eric Staal and Cody Eakin to your roster and the locker room, they not only bring talent to the ice but also (a) veteran presence," Eichel said. "In a situation like ours where we're trying to find a winning culture with a young group and trying to figure out the right way to do things at times, I think having older guys can help you out, especially during periods of adversity."

Eichel added that having Hall, a former Hart Trophy winner, in the lineup will take "a bit of pressure off me."

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